Electrical fuse



H. SNODGRASS.

ELECTRICAL FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1921.

1,401,004, Patented De0. 20, 1921.

W x ATTORNEYS PATENT OFFIQE.

HASCAL SNODGRASS, OF BISBEE, ARIZONA.

ELECTRICAL FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

Application filed March 12, 1921. Serial No. 451,907.

To all coil-0m it may concern Be it known that I, HAsoAL SNODGRASS, a citizen of'the United States, and a resident of Bisbee, in the county of Cochise and State of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved Electrical Fuse, of. which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to electrical fuses, and has for an object the provision of a sim ple, economically manufactured, compact and easily refillable fuse.

Another object resides in the provision of a fuse which can be taken apart with the expenditure of a minimum amount of time and labor to remove a burner-out fuse link and .replace it with a new one.

A. further object resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings.

in general the invention comprises a cylindrical casing of some suitable insulating material which is split longitudinally and which has on each end the usual metallic cap portion, which is likewise slit. Clamping means on each end, which are very easily operated, hold the two split portions together. The fuse link is held with n the casing, and when burned out is easily removable by releasing the clamping means. and separating the two portions of the casing to permit the removal of the link.

The invention is shown in the drawing, of

Figure 1 is an elevation with one end portion of the fuse in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper half of the split-fuse casing broadly showing the depending longitudinally extending shoulder Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the fuse link in place and the clamping means on each end;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the fuse casing with the clamping means removed;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the casing; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view'of a fuse link.

The preferred embodiment of my inven tion, as shown in the drawings, is a fuse comprising a hollow, cylindrical casing of any suitable insulating material, such as fiber, which is split longitudinally into two portions, a main body portion 1 and another portion 2, which comprises a sort of cover therefor. As is usual in the case of fiber fuses, each end is provided with metallic conducting caps or sleeves 3 and 4. These caps are likewise split but are fastened to the casing portions, so that when the cover port on 2 is removed the corresponding portions of the caps 3 and 4 move therewith.

The caps 3 and at are provided respectlvely with outwardly longitudinally extenchng, fiangelike plugs 5 and 6 through the center of each of which is pierced an aperture such as 7 shown in Fig. i. This aperture is threaded and adapted to receive a threaded shaft 8 carrying on its outer end a clamping collar 9. The threaded shaft 8 passing into the aperture 7 is carried by the lower member 1 of the split insulating casing above referred to. Each clamping collar 9 is bored out within from the face adjacent the caps or sleeves 3 and 4 in the form of an interior bore 10 which is of a diameter equal to thediameter of the flangelike plugs 5 and 6. Although the drawings do not so disclose, these plugs and the bore 10 may be slightly tapered so that as the collar 9 is threaded toward the caps 3 and 1 the flanges on the caps are engaged by the inner face of the collar in a sort of wedging manner to tightly hold the ends of the split sections 1 and 2 together.

As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 5, a depending flange 11 is provided on the inner face of the cover portion 2 and extends longitudinally thereof within the hollow portion, such as 11', of the insulating casing.

From a consideration particularly of Fig. 5, it will be noted that this depending flange portion provides a barrier between the abutting edges of the cover 2, the lower portion 1 and the fuse link let to prevent any flame or other injurious element from getting out between these abutting ed 'es when the link burns out.

It will be noticed particularly in Fig. 3 that the surfaces of the plugs or flanges 5 and 6, connected to the lower half 1 of the cylindrical casing, are provided with grooves 12 and 13spaced apart and lying parallel to.

the axis of the casing. A. fuse link 14: of any suitable material is disposed within the hollow portion of the fuse casing and is pro-' vided with spaced finger portions on each end, such as 15 and 16, which are adapted to lie respectively in the grooves and 13. The ends of the fingers, which extend beyond the outer face of the plug portions 5 and 6, r are bent downward along said outer'faces- Apertures 17 are formed in'the plug portions 5 and 6, as shown in Fig. 4, and connect the atmosphere with the inner chamber 11 of the casing. This provides means whereby the gaseous pressure within the chamber 11 can be relieved when the fuse link burns out. As the clamping collars 9 are screwed on to the ends of the plugs or flanges 5 and 6, the split members 1 and 2 of the casing are held together tightly and the ends 16 of the fuse link are held firmly between the outer" faces of the plugs and the inner face of th clamping collar 9.

The length of'the threaded shaft 8 of each collar 9 is such that the clamping collars can be removed a suiiicient distance from the flanges 5 and 6 to permit the separation of the cover 2 from the portion 1 without completely removing the threaded shaft 8 from its respective aperture 7. It will, therefore, be observed that'by merely unscrewing the clamping collar a sur'lioient distance and removing the'cover portion 2, the fuse link within the casing can be removed and a new one placed therein with a min imum expenditure of time and labor. f it will also be readily observable that the operation of this link, to place and replace fuse links in a casing, is a very simple operation. The fuse is simple and compact and composed of a minimum number of parts and can be very economically manufactured.

What I claim is:

1. A fuse comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion of insulating material, a conducting cap on each end of said body portion, said caps and said body portion being split longitudinally to form two separable members, a fusible element adapted to be disposed within the hollow portion and to be gripped at its ends between the separable members, and a collar adapted to be applied to the caps when the separable members are placed together to hold them together.

2. A fuse comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion of insulating material, a cupshaped conducting cap disposed over each end of .the body portion, each cap having an outwardly extending plug portion, said 1 caps and said body portion being split longitudinally to form two separable members, a fusibleelement disposed within the hollow portion and adapted at its ends to be gripped between the adjacent faces of the plug members when the separable members are placed together, and a collar adapted to slidablyengage the plug portion on each end of the fuse when the separable members are placed together to hold them together.

3. A fusecomprising a hollow cylindrical body portion, a cup-shaped conducting cap disposed over each end of said body portion, each cap having a plug portion extending outwardly in line with the axis of the fuse, each cap having a threaded aperture therein, a threaded shaft adapted to engage in each aperture, and a collar disposed on the outer end of each threaded shaft, each collar having a cup-shaped recess in the face adjacent said plugs, each collar acanted tobe moved toward said plugs whereby said plugs will project into said recess, said caps and body portion being split longitudinally to form separable members but being held together by the engagement of the movable collars with the plugs when the separable members 7 are placed together.

42. A fuse comprising a pair of cup-shaped conducting caps spaced apart, a hollow cylindrical body portion of insulating material extending therebetween,said capsand cylindrical body portion being split longitudinally, a fusible element disposed within the body portion and being gripped along'its end port ons between the adjacent faces of the split caps, and a collar adapted to he slid over the ends of the caps to hold the split portions thereof together.

HASCAL snonenass. 

